Worst Signings Ever

[nonplussed]

I was talking last night with mates and the concensus was that our signings this season have been excellent on the whole, but this has not always been the case, we have had some stonkers through the gates, and i wondered coule we actually get a 1st XV of poor signings. Here goes, please add or change at your leisure

15 Grant Henderson
14
13
12
11
10
9 Brad Free
8
7 Gavin Pfister
6
5
4
3 Andy Kershaw
2 Mark Crick
1 Joeli

[notj]

Grant Webb was pretty poor last season (no.

[Neil F]

Perhaps a little harsh, NOTJ; the guy arrived mid-season into a team that was totally failing in almost every aspect of the game and was nothing more than a stop gap to cover injuries. I think it is totally impossible to judge the player against that kind of background. I think we'll be able to judge more rationally when we see him turning out for the Dragons this season.

[GerryO']

difficult even unfair to try to name a full team of disasters.

[Rooster]

Wouldn't say much about Webb, he could come and bite your Brennan when we play Dragons, emptying sauce bottles yesterday was a classic example.

[nonplussed]

difficult even unfair to try to name a full team of disasters.

its a bit of banter.... some people are too serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tevez]

The couple of years immediately after the Euro Cup win were particularly fertile for dud signings - the new professional era and the novelty of signing non-Ulstermen combined to sign a few shockers with Grant Henderson (a full back who could not kick, catch or tackle) being surely the worst player to wear an Ulster shirt with any regularity since Ulster became professional.

I wouldn't disagree with anyone on nonplussed's list and for what its worth here are my nominations:

12 Riaz Fredericks - despite that try at the Dub against Ireland - managed only a few matches until a broken thumb and rugby in Hong Kong beckoned.

6 Eric Miller - big reputation, big ego, big pay - little effort and less commitment for Ulster.

6/7 Dave Allen - hilarious.

8 Robbie Brink - arrived injured - lasted 10 minutes - great player - bad signing

7/8 Dion O'Cuinneaghain - same as Miller, without the ego - great player - but sadly poor return

5 Aidan Kearney - had the physique - did it for others but didn't do it for us

1/3 Leopoldo de Chazal - the only Argentian prop who couldn't scrummage - Ulster did not know whether he was a LH or TH

Still every one of them was a better player than me, and they all wore the white shirt.....something I could only dream of!

[mikerob]

It is a bit unfair just naming overseas players. Surely there have also been a number of home grown players who have also been dud signings. Paul McKenzie? Two year contract but hasn't played for Ulster for over a year.

[Tevez]

Mikerob

You're probably right....but the overseas signings were made because they were supposedly better than what we had indiginously. The bar is therefore set somewhat higher. These guys were certainly no better than our locals!

Incidentally I've seen McKenzie playing for the A team and his performances have been pretty good - particularly his defence and lines of running.

I also feel that present incumbents still have the opportunity to turn things round!

[mikerob]

Tevez - fair point. The locals have been visible all the way up from schools so UR would have had a good view of their ability while with some of the imports in the early days, there was probably very little research into their ability - "he's from the southern hemisphere so he must be good..."

[darkside lightside]

and what about sam harding last year..

[ColinM]

I think with the local players, we generally give them a chance when they're young to see if they'll make the grade and inevitably many of them dont. I think its a bit harsh to call them failed signings. When we have signed a foreign player in his late twenties, we're expecting someone to come in and do a job pretty much straight away. Its not really fair to say that the players are to blame for this, moreso the coach who decided that said player would be a good signing for Ulster.

[nonplussed]

ah, Riaz Fredericks... he did manage to score one of the best tries at the Dub...ever!!

Leopoldo was last seen warming the bench for Argentina against the Lions in Cardiff in 05!!

what about Clinton Ven Rensburg, decent centre, but never set the world alight.... and Spencer Bromley

[browner]

The latest "Sparky"

[cheese]

surely spencer Bromely needs to be up their.